Climb Every Mountain

It's strange to say you love inanimate objects, but I'm going to say it, anyway. I love our new place. It's so incredibly nice! The Halfway House, while it was good enough for a year, was just such a dump compared to the new place (we may have to come up with a name for it). We have stairs! I'm excited about having stairs! We also have a ton of storage space, and the kitchen is so cute with its one red wall! Extra perk: we have a dishwasher that is NOT named Megan! It's an actual machine! Huzzah! (i've been saying that a lot lately. must be my new "awesome" . . .) Esther, Alicia, and I got all moved in a couple weeks ago, then Rachel came last week. So it's the four of us, and I think we're handling the new arrangements all right. Especially since we have yet to experience even one day with all four of us actually here. Crazy. But we love the new place, in case you didn't infer that.

Just a couple shots of the new place

I had quite the kitchen-oriented start to my week, actually. I've been determined to actually cook more, and that determination has been kind of succeeding, especially since I was involved in a work potluck and a dinner group potluck all on the same day, and then the actual cooking for myself (and roommates/friends) in addition. Fortunately, both my potluck dishes (enchiladas for the cinco de mayo potluck at work and the amazing jensen lemon cake dessert for the dinner group) got rave reviews from all who partook. Yay! I'm in charge of the dinner group on Thursday, too, and I'm really pumped to make this absolutely awesome and incredible soup that I've been looking for an excuse to make.

I completed my first Y hike of the summer season on Thursday evening. First time I ever did it by myself. Not something I'd recommend, but I wanted to do it, and I guess I was just too lazy to call anybody to come with me. It's a short hike, yes, but it's so darn steep that I always feel as though I've conquered Kilimanjaro once I've reached the Y. The first time I ever tried to hike the Y ("tried" being the operative word), I didn't make it all the way because my 200-above-sea-level, Oregonian body did not appreciate it and I subsequently became extremely light-headed and nauseated (hurray for altitude sickness). Fortunately, my date that day (yeah, it was a date . . . embarrassing to not make it on a date) was really nice about it. A month and a half later, I actually made it (that time, i nearly blacked out halfway up, but i refused to stop and be humiliated by the mountain again). And ever since then, hiking the Y has been a great accomplishment for me. And now you may all mock my history of lameness when it comes to mountains. -gives five seconds- All right, stop laughing. No, really, I mean it. Hey, stop!

The south view from the Y

And Megan, the lone explorer.

Now that you've all recovered from your Megan-induced hilarity, we'll move on.

I'm really looking forward to seeing my mom later this week. I've been really missing her (and dad, naturally, but he's not coming down to utah, -insert sad face here-), so I'm glad for the opportunity to go up to Clinton and see her and (help take care of) the kids while Kelly and Nate are back east. I'm not sure when exactly I'll get the opportunity to go up, but I'll probably try to swing it this weekend.

And one more parting image of the lovely Jeremie Jones.

This time he really DID leave Provo.
And Cher gave her final concert.

Yesterday, I got to see my friend Andrew for a large chunk of the day. I haven't seen him in quite some time. We talk occasionally, but the last time we actually laid eyes on each other was probably in January. So we ended up going to dinner (i introduced him to carabbas . . . needless to say, he really enjoyed it) and then he suggested seeing the new Star Trek movie. I really hadn't been planning on seeing it (and i had told esther so the night before), but he wanted to see it and was willing to pay for me, so I went along with it. So. Good. It was an awesome movie, so I'm really glad that Andrew got me to change my mind. Everyone should see it.

Okay, that's all for now. I'm looking forward to a new week, and my new determination is to have a better attitude about work. So we'll see how that goes. Wish me luck!

-Me

"I don't even butter my bread. I consider that cooking." -Katherine Cebrian